ART. 19. The Effufions of the Heart: Poems, by Mifs Stockdale. Dedicated, by Permiffion, to her Majefty. Crown 8vo. 45. Stockdale. 1798.

Thefe poems are characterized, with great modefty, by Mifs Stockdale herself, at the close of a short preface. "Whatever may be the faults of the following poems, which were originally written without any intention of their ever meeting the public eye (for I fat down to write what I thought, not to think what I fhould write') permit me to fay, with a well-known and refpectable author, that if they do no honour to my head, I truft they will not be thought to reflect difcredit on my heart.' That they do no honour to the head, we are far from faying, but certainly the heart has the nobler part of the prize; and, as the poems are faid to be effufions from that very place, this is no flight commendation. The following paffage will fhow at once the strength of the writer's feelings, and the juftness of her reflections.

"O figh no more, fond heart; but boldly dare
To break, and ease one wretched of her grief;
Free her at once from forrow and from care;
O quick adminifter the kind relief!

Hafte, hafte, and give the fovereign healing balm;
All trouble and all forrow then fhall cease;
Nature at length will fink into a calm,

And bind my brow with wreaths of lafting peace.

And yet, profane, doft thou then dare repine
At the all-juft decree of Providence?
Where is that purity of thought divine,

Which deck'd thy face with virgin innocence;

Which beam'd fo mildly in thy radiant eyes,
And mark'd thee as the hope of every friend,

Exalted thy great worth to distant skies,

And e'en to Mifery an example lend?

Ah no! my thoughts might swerve, by grief oppreft,
And figh to leave this wretched load of clay;

But ftill fhall Refignation calm this breaft,

And Fortitude fupport me on my way:

Till Patience, aided by Time's certain flight,
Shall bear me to the manfions of repofe,
Lull all my cares afleep in endless night,

And lead me where the foul with rapture glows.

Yes, innate virtue ftill this heart controls;
The wicked only can have caufe to fear :
No venom'd guile within this bofom rolls;
'Tis pure, 'tis juft, 'tis upright and fincere.

P

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XI. FEB. 1798.

Then

Then welcome to my breaft, thou faithful Sigh;
Here thou shalt heave till I have prov'd my doom,,
Till every pulfe fhall cease to beat, and I

Defcend regretted to the filent tomb." P. 47.

There is, in the greater part of thefe poems, a profound expreffion of melancholy, which it is painful to confider, as experienced by a perfon fo young. But among ladies, and those who employ their pen particularly, we have known feveral who thought it their poetical duty to be always very unhappy. We are willing to hope, for the lady's fake, that this is, in part at least, the cafe with Mifs Stockdale. She fays, in one poem, to a friend,

thou know'ft, my heart

Is far too feeling to be free from fmart.

With this idea prevailing, any poetefs would doubtlefs think it a fevere reflection upon her character, to be at any time very happy. We will wish, however, that this lady may be fo in fpite of the Mufes, and

herself.

ART. 20. The Invincible Island; a Poem, with introductory Obferva tions on the prefent War. By Percival Stockdale. 8vo. 25. Clarke, 38, New Bond-Street. 1797.

We have already noticed, in this month's Review, one strong remonftrance against Mr. Erfkine's pamphlet. The preface to the poem now before us, contains fome very able and pointed remarks to the fame effect. The drift of the poem itfelf, is to prove, that "if we are united, we are invincible." That this is true, we doubt not; and we truft, that notwithstanding the indefatigable efforts made to divide us, we shall still be enough united to be far above the ftrength of our enemies. The fpirit of the performance is truly patriotic; and, if the execution be not quite equal to the wishes of the author, it is good enough to do him credit. The following apoftrophe to our Country, will more than warrant this affertion.

"My COUNTRY! justly every Briton's pride;
Where Freedom ftill is anxious to refide;
Becaufe, conftrained from other lands to flee,
She found her walls of adamant in thee !
Great patronefs of man's eternal caufe
His mild religion, and his equal laws!
From diftant ages Providence's care;
Parent of gallant fons, and daughters fair!
Where, in the cultivated rural scene,
Ceres, and Flora wear their brightest mien!
And where, in focial elegance are joined

The charms of person, and the charms of mind:
Of fage philofophers a numerous train;
Of men moft powerful in poetic ftrain!
Should human excellence our fearch engage,
In recollecting down, from age to age;

While memory travels, too, from pole to pole;
The first achievements of the human foul,
Great Queen of Islands, we shall find in thee;
Divine at land, and terrible at fea!

Since Europe, now, her arbitress reveres ;

And looks to thee, with mingled hopes, and fears;
Of all the deeds that British annals praise,
From virtuous Alfred's down to George's days;
When thou must act the most distinguished part;
When all thy glories prefs upon my heart;
When with emphatic voice thy honour calls;
Accept the verfe that flows; the tear that falls!

Sons of the men, whom times remoter faw
Their conquering fwords against oppreffion draw;
With hearts elate, and steady march advance,
To the pale lilies of their trembling France:
Oft taught to bleed; but never taught to fly;
Refolve, once more, to conquer, or to die!
Oh! give not peerlefs beauty; ftrongest mind,
To the declared affaffins of mankind!

Make no mean peace with monsters that retain
Nought faithful; nought religious; nought humane;
Against our univerfe their threats are hurl'd;

Defend yourselves; and you defend the world!" P. 51.

There is animation, vigour, and many other good poetical qualities in these linės; befides the merit of the fentiment, which we would with transmitted into every British bofom.

ART. 21. The Battle of B-ng-r, or the Church's Triumph; a
Comic-Heroic Poem, in Nine Cantes. 8vo. 3s. Johnfon. 1797.
Very dull, and very profaic. Exempli gratia.

"The great themselves had now began to feel,
The dire effects of their intemperate zeal;
Even Pd's Duke, if we may truth report,
Repents that e'er he bow'd his knee at court,
And wishes Reeves, and his alarming crew,
Were fent to hell, to give the devil his due."
&e. &c. &c.

DRAMATIC.

ART. 22. The Virgin Queen, a Drama, in Five Alts: attempted as a · Sequel to Shakspeare's Tempeft. 8vo. 25. For the Author, No. 4, Crofs-Court, Drury-Lane. 1797.

The modefty of Mr. Waldron, who figns his name to the Dedication of this drama, were his merit much less than it is, would entitle him to indulgence and commendation. During the controverfy about the Shakspearian forgeries, he published a fmall tract entitled

P2

"Free

"Free Reflections on Mifcellaneous Papers," &c. to which he fubjoined extracts from this drama, called the Virgin Queen. Of this he said, at that time, that it was written by Shakspeare, I will not take upon me to affert; yet it is not likely that any other perfon should attempt a fequel to what feemed fo perfectly concluded as the Tempest: but I may fafely fay, that if it was not written by Shakspeare, it is written in direct imitation of him." This was confeffing the fact fairly enough; and the extracts abundantly proved, that the author was far better able to imitate the ftyle of Shakspeare, than the young man who had caused fo grand a divifion among the learned. By the fpecimens published, and the account given of the plot, we should conceive that the play was then finished, or not far from it. Mr. Waldron displayed long ago, in his continuation of Ben Jonfon's unfinished play, the Sad Shepherd, a confiderable talent for poetical imitation, which certainly has been fince improved by cultivation. The endeavour to imitate Shakspeare is ftill more arduous; yet the fuccefs is not inferior. We will take a fpecimen from the part not published before. The author fets the Ghoft of Sycorax, and the dæmons, against Ariel and the good spirits, in contest to deftroy or fave Profpero. Ariel's first endeavour is to recover the wand and book of Profpero. The former being found, he thus fpeaks of the latter.

"Thus far, pure friends, fuccefs our skill hath crown'd;
And art, to force preferr'd, well fleaded us!
The pliant ground yields not more ready way
To the blind pioneer, the fleeky mole;
Nor to th' infinuating worm's more pervious,
Than unto us, in our difperfed fearch

Of this moft precious ftaff; which my good hap
Chanc'd firft to light on: no lefs thanks ftill due
To each, who freely earth'd his radiant form,
And help'd, when found, it's parts to reunite ;
Reftoring and augmenting it's loft pow'r!
This wand retriev'd, good Profp'ro's fure fupport,
For his drown'd book, all fearless, we'll explore
The vatt abyfs of the ne'er-founded fea!
Should we recover that, our toil's o'erpaid;
And he again from hellish fiends fecure!
Now to the briny ooze; more noisome far
Then vap'rous mine, fint, flime, or clogging clay;
And apt to foil our skiey-tinctur'd wings:
Which must be clofe comprefs'd, as deep we dive,
And range through groves of coral; where the nymphs,
And fea-born fhepherds, 'neath their moist alcoves,

Repeat their vows, and pour forth all their loves!" P. 66.

If a profeffed imitation of Shakspeare could be tolerated on the ftage, this is better than most that have been yet attempted; and certain we are, that many worfe dramas are annually brought forward. The peril of Profpero interefts the reader for him, and the preternatural agents are managed with fancy and confiftency.

ART,

ART. 23. The Wandering Jew; or Love's Mafquerade: a Comedy, in
Two Acts, as performed by their Majefty's Servants, at the Theatre-
Royal, Drury-Lane. By Andrew Franklin.
8vo. 55 PP.

Cawthorn. 1797.

IS.

The title of " a Comedy," is by much too dignified for this piece. Confidered as a farce, and recommended (as it doubtlefs was) by the acting of very facetious gentlemen and ladies, it may innocently divert fuch audiences as prefer the exhibition of caricatures, to the just and lively delineation of genuine comic characters.

NOVELS.

ART. 24. Eftelle by M. de Florian, Author of Numa Pompilius, &c. &c. with an Effay upon Paftorals, tranflated from the French. By Mrs. Sufanna Cumyns. In Two Volumes. 55. Lee and

Hurft. 1798.

A refpectable lift of fubfcribers is prefixed to this tranflation, and the performance warrants their fanction. The tranflation is eafy and correct, and often rifes to elegance. The fame commendation is due to the poetical verfions which are occafionally introduced.

ART. 25.
Anzoletta Zadoki. A Novel. In Two Volumes. By
Mrs. Horvell, Author of Georgina, &c. &c. 12mo. 6s. Lane.
1796.

We have accidentally omitted the notice of thefe volumes longer than we intended. The author, perhaps, will not be now flattered with our qualified praife. They are very fentimental, and very inno

cent.

ART. 26. The Farmer of Inglewood Foreft, a Novel, in Four Volumes. By Elizabeth Helme. 8vo. 145. Lane. 1796.

They who delight in very tragical actions, may be gratified and inftructed by the perufal of this novel. It paints in ftrong, but not improper colours, the vile arts of feducers, their prevailing power over youth and innocence, and the complicated miferies which they too often bring upon families once virtuous and happy. A ftriking contraft is also exhibited in the prudence, fortitude, benevolence, and piety of other characters in the piece.

It may be feasonable to warn novel-writers, as well as other authors, that four fmall volumes, at the price of 14s. will now, perhaps, meet with fewer purchasers than formerly; at a time, when the resources of our country are fo urgently called forth, to preferve us from the attempts of ftill worfe feducers, foreign and domeftic; and from the mot implacable enemies to virtue and happiness, by whom Great Britain, or any other nation, was ever affailed.

DIVINITY.